


Agent Aphrodite: Assignment Asgard

by SBB



Category: Loki - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Love/Hate, Major physical battle between characters; no injuries.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-06 12:36:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1106898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SBB/pseuds/SBB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A beautiful woman comes to Asgard with one goal in mind - she must turn Loki from his evil ways without destroying him.  It's a really big job.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival in Asgard

**Author's Note:**

> This is set after the Avengers, or in an alternate time lime, as I hadn't seen The Dark World till long after I'd started. Frigga is still alive. I also didn't know till I'd gotten a good start, that in the Marvel Comics, there is the character Venus - so this is Aphrodite, a different character. I don't own the Marvel characters, but Aphrodite is in the public domain, I would think. This is not a straight forward sexy love story, thoough it has those elements.

The Arrival

      The shining hall loomed in front of her and it occurred to her, not for the first time, that her entrance should be as unobtrusive as possible. Walking in to this huge assembly and attracting immediate attention would defeat her purpose. She did not plan to make a major error this early in the assignment; her king would be greatly displeased. That didn’t matter greatly as she was the only one her king trusted completely to be successful with something this delicate, but she did not intend to make anything more difficult than it had to be. Worlds hung in the balance.

       Accordingly, she found a small entrance towards the rear of the hall and slipped into the back unobserved. Even so,  she cloaked herself in the Mist and a plain blue wool robe so that all that showed was the face of an unusually pretty woman, possibly only human, with honey blonde hair that curled about her face and neck. Most of the inhabitants of this hall did not give such women a second glance as they were commonplace. Gods dallied with mortals and nothing would ever stop that. Her identity was safe until she made it known herself.

       She knew that this particular kind of assignment was almost always successful if her subject (she disliked the term victim) did not know of her assignment and his roll in it. She captured, kept and pacified; it was her specialty. She worked for the good of her subject and frequently saved a life or perhaps millions of lives. She entered the brightly lit hall – was this Valhalla? Time did not allow her to study the names of the buildings, but it did not matter now. The lights in the hall shone brightly, so much so that to human eyes it would have been painful. Everything was gold, golden tables and walls, golden talk and laughter, golden gods and goddesses. Perhaps a thousand people filled the hall and they wore clothes that appeared mostly gold and white. The room shimmered with light and color. She felt certain that if she looked closely enough that even the food would be gold.

        Quite a distance from her, in a far corner of the great room, stood a group of warriors both male and female, clearly superior to the rest. They talked, laughed, and drank with great good humor and though she she was unable to distinguish their words, their laughter filled the hall as if it came alive on its own. The sound broke in waves throughout the hall and brought joy to almost everyone. She imagined Asgard rising and floating freely into the cosmos, borne aloft on sheer joy.

        Among the warrior band a god stood head and shoulders above the others, not necessarily in height, though he was huge, but in beauty and strength. Clearly, this was Thor, the Thunder God himself; the beauty of his personality giving him a golden aura. His hair and beard were golden and his eyes a deep blue. She gasped quickly, his beauty and masculinity catching her off guard. She smiled to herself and turned away. What would she need of Thor, or he of her, if she completed her mission?

        Her quarry lay elsewhere and she spotted him almost immediately though he did not shine like the golden warrior.  He would make himself known soon, however, for he could not bear his brother's being the center of attention for long. He played jokes on others or wittily insulted his brother so that in that golden hall all would laugh, including Thor. Thor’s brother was vain, jealous, wildly intelligent, ambitious, witty, sarcastic, burdened with grief and guilt, and was unbalanced. He turned any situation to his advantage if he could, and if his tricks and mischief went wrong, he cleverly explained away his guilt and everyone forgave him, a thousand times a thousand. They all knew what he knew better than any of them; that he was broken perhaps beyond repair. Over thousands of years he went too far too many times; by trickery he caused the death of the beloved god Balder. He paid for that death dearly, but time passed and the others forgave him.  In recent years, however, he turned from the Trickster God of Mischief and Magic to a god of evil. They punished him for his crimes although he helped them as often as he hurt them. They usually ignored his good work for Asgard - all except his mother and brother, that is.

        She studied him carefully; he was not what she expected. He was a physically handsome and beautiful god, as tall as Thor, but not as big in the body, his limbs long and elegant. In contrast to Thor, his hair was the deepest black, his pale skin, his eyes green-blue; no golden god he. His face in repose was handsome and made him appear introspective, but when he smiled with real humor his face transformed and was beautiful. He possessed a magnetism and style owned by none around him; she found it extremely attractive. He was as graceful as a dancer where Thor was a graceful athlete. Thor possessed strength and speed where his brother possessed greater speed and magic. Both dazzled in their turn, but it was no doubt that if both were present all eyes would turn to the golden Thor and stay there. His brother's lot to stand behind him in the shadows.

       She envisioned them in their helmets. Odin All-Father’s horned helmet framed his one-eyed face into the face seen for millennia on temple walls; it was a frightening face. Thor’s winged helmet enhanced his beauty – how could wings do anything else? But his brother’s helmet, with huge narrow horns rising straight from the front before bending back into a curve carried a very ancient symbolism. To the primitive humans who first worshiped the Asgardians and spent much time in the presence of animals: bulls, rams, goats, and the huge mountain deer, the horns were a symbol of a potent and intrusive masculinity. No god could wear a helmet that did not reflect his nature and this young god was undoubtedly no exception.

       For a moment she closed her eyes and wished it could be otherwise, but it had always been so; men who are happy and whole did not need her. She needed to staunch no bleeding, heal no insane mind, fill no deep cracks in the personality or fulfill the need for lost love. Whole and happy men cause no damage unless it is unintentional; they freely give of themselves. She belonged to the wounded, as she had always done. She was married to a broken husband and lover to an insane and violent man for years beyond counting. Wounded men and gods always caused humanity pain. Because of her lover, millions, perhaps billions suffered and died over the long history of the human race.

      His mother hurled her husband Hephaestus from Olympus immediately after his birth because he was ugly. Her lover Aries, God of War, gave men blood lust in battle and need to murder anyone who fell in their way. Without her to distract him he caused humanity the blight of constant wars with no break for the mortals to plant their fields, raise their families, or create civilizations. Perhaps she had more experience with angry and difficult men than any woman in history. Still, her identity had its compensations, she had tremendous power over the gods who attempted to possess her.

       Zeus gave her the assignment in Asgard himself. She must enfold Thor’s brother in her love, beauty and all-powerful sexuality, and distract him from his desire to destroy everything he touched. Something had to happen – the Nine Worlds must not be destroyed, the Trickster God had gone too far too many time. She was Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty. Her assignment, of course, was Loki.


	2. First Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphrodite and Loki meet at an Asgardian banquet and have a lively conversation that ends in a strong mutual attraction. Who's the God of Lies now?

**First Encounter**

                Before she made the journey to Asgard through the Bi Frost, Aphrodite had already decided to use another of her names, so as not to be recognized.  Originally, her cult was from Cyprus, so she was also known as Kypris, the Lady of Cyprus.  It was a name that she did not think the Asgardians would recognize, so if pressed, she would simply say that she had come to Greece from Cyprus, which was true.

                She watched until Loki finally took a seat where he had the best chance of seeing everyone in the hall.  The corner where he sat was crowded, but Kypris simply walked behind a couple sitting next to him, and they drifted away to another bench.  She sat down beside him, and noted with pleasure that the thin green silk she wore complemented Loki’s green perfectly.   She made no move to attract his attention, knowing that her very presence would force any male near her to look at her before long.  Her appeal could be felt as well as seen; it permeated the air like the fragrance of lilacs

                Loki turned to her, and he was so much taller than she that he had to lean over and bend his neck to look in her face.  She looked at him with her great blue eyes, and drew him in, like a fish on a hook.  He said nothing, but continued to look at her, his face serious.  Then his face broke into a smile and he laughed, saying, “What is a woman of your quality doing down here at the far end of the table? I saw you before you sat down, and I just assumed you’d been brought here for the pleasure of Odin, or perhaps my brother.  Who are you?”

                “I am Kypris, a visitor from Midgard; I am a demi-goddess.  Your father kindly allowed me to come to Asgard because my situation at home was impossible.”

                “How so?”  He smiled winningly. “Wait, I see it now.  You tempted the husband of an important goddess, perhaps more than one, the goddess complained about you, and her husband denied everything.  Am I near the truth?  I imagine that most men who desire you are married; you must greatly please a man married to a dull wife, or come to think of it, even one not so dull.” He turned his head, smiled and winked at her. “Do you sleep with everyone’s husband, or just the most important ones?” He leaned in closer, no longer smiling; one large hand cupped her chin with a grip of iron.  There was nothing gentle about Loki.  His face came very close to hers, nose to nose, deliberately offensive. “Whom do you plan to seduce here?”  He laughed suddenly, and dropped his hand.

                “You certainly get straight to the point, Prince.  If you think I am so attractive, why do you insult me?  I don’t go after the husbands of other women.  I had thought to find a welcome here in Asgard, but I see that is not to be the case.”  She sighed, blushed delicately, and dropped her eyes, apparently submissive. It was a wonderfully simple trick, and almost always effective. She could feel his eyes still on her.  His grasped both her shoulders, and pulled her around to face him squarely. She tried to break free from his grasp, but knew before she started that it was a pointless while she was in human form. She really wanted him to feel the soft skin of her shoulders and upper arms through the thin silk.

 

               “My Lord, please, is this how you welcome a guest?”  

                “I am wondering just what kind of welcome you seek, Lady Kypris, and I’m wondering if it’s my welcome you seek; I still have no idea who you are.  Are you the daughter of an Olympian?  You are certainly lovely enough to be. Who are you?” He still held each of her shoulders in a sure grip, and looked at her, the green eyes blazing with suspicion, and perhaps some paranoia.  She realized that he had a tendency to violence perhaps as great as that of Aries; she knew what had happened when he came to New York.

                “I told you sir, I am a demi-goddess, but I am not the child of any Olympian, and I live in New York, near Olympus.  Does that answer your question?  Is this how you treat everyone?  I feel very conspicuous; everyone is looking at us.  Could you please let me go and do the courtesy of pouring me some wine?”

                His face and voice changed immediately, and he dropped his hands.  “Where are my manners?  What would my royal mother say of my behavior?  I shall indeed do so, it is an excellent vintage.”  He handed her a golden goblet of wine which he transformed before her eyes so that it was embossed with waves and sea creatures.  She drank, and in the bottom, she found two tiny conch shells.  She smiled up at him through dark lashes.  

                “Ah sir, the Master of Magic and Mischief, I am told. That was lovely magic.”

                His voice was soft, melodious, and full of respect, “Are you interested in mischief and magic, Kypris?”

                She looked down into the cup, “I think I am interested sir, interested in everything to do with you. May I call you Loki?”

                He threw back his head and laughed, showing all the white teeth. “By all means, lady. Perhaps we met when I was last in New York, though I was terribly busy at the time.”

                “No, Loki, fortunately I was not in New York during your… what shall we call it? Your last visit?”

                “That works as well as anything else, though I don’t know if my brother would call it that.  Speaking of my brother, he and my father will be shocked to learn that the most beautiful woman in the room is interested in me! Ha!”  He looked down at her again.          

“Loki – is there more to you than mischief and magic?  What interests you, beside that and occasional attempts at planetary domination?” 

                “Now be fair, I’ve only tried to conquer a planet once, and admittedly, it was your planet.  However, that’s not what I’m thinking about now, lovely one,” his voice very low, but with just a hint of aggression in his tone. “I am interested in you.  All of you and everything about you.”  He lifted his right hand and lightly brushed her upper arm with his long fingers. She could feel the trail of each finger on her skin.  She looked into his eyes and shifted her body slightly as a woman does when she first feels desire.  His response was immediate.  He took both her hands in his, and lifted them to his lips. He gently kissed each hand, and with the second kiss he delicately touched his tongue to the tip of her finger, giving it a lick as if he were savoring the taste of her flesh.  Her pupils dilated slightly, and she let out a sigh that just slightly shuddered. She lowered her eyes again.

                “Prince, you embarrass me!  What will everyone think?”  But as she said this, she looked about her and saw that no one was aware of them.  When had he made them invisible, and how had she missed it? She had to focus; she must not lose control of this situation.  He put a hand on each shoulder and pulled her to him, and leaning his head down low, he kissed her delicately on the mouth.  It was shattering, soft and lingering, and after what seemed like minutes, she finally breathed again. He kissed her again, this time with more insistence.  She raised a hand and stroked his cheek.  He pulled away a little and looked at her with laughing eyes, his face delighted.

                “They will think I desire you, and they would be right, if they could see us. But,” his smile faded and he gripped her arms, “Before I spirit you away to my chamber, I must know why you are here.  You’ve been here only a short time, and you’re ready to run off to bed with the first man who’s taken notice of you.  That’s lovely for me, but I admit it causes me concern. I’m not sure how sound your judgment is.  I’m a man with a terrible reputation, the worst in Asgard. Do you plan to bed someone else tomorrow night?”

                “That is insulting, Loki, let me go!”

                He kept an even tighter hold on her arms, digging in his fingers.  He spoke softly, but his voice trembled with intensity. “I will do no such thing until you enlighten me.  You’re a demi-goddess from Midgard, named Kypris, and are a guest here.  That’s very little information, lady; I always find out what I want to know, and I want to know is why you are here.  Your little story of a jealous goddess is trite.  What interests you in me? Who sent you?  Tell me!”  His eyes blazed, dark with anger.

Kypris sighed and dropped her eyes again, then peeped up at him through the dark lashes. Her eyes swam with tears making her eyes so bright that they often took men’s breath away.  Loki stared at her for a moment, and then looked away. She blinked the tears away.  “First, Prince, the story of a jealous goddess was yours, not mine. Also, I don’t want to tell you what brings me here; you will think I’m lying.”

“Try me,” he whispered.  “Now!”  All at once he was menacing; his size and physical power intimidating her - the fear was actually physical.  But it was his face, really; she could see just barely controlled rage and something more ominous behind his eyes.  The softer his voice, the more frightening he became.

               “Oh Loki, let me go! I told you who I am, and no one sent me.  I come to you on my own, completely on my own.  And what interests me in you?  I’m tired of heroes; heroes are boring and full of entertaining stories, all about themselves. To them, a woman is a only a possession, nothing more. I’m tired of grim and dirty men who war, and I am tired of men who are too good and righteous.  I tired of the men of Earth, so I left there find a better life elsewhere, with someone who is not a hero, but someone who is smart and goes after what he wants. Someone who doesn’t mind breaking rules. Isn’t that you?”           

                “Yes, Kypris, that is certainly what I do and who I am, assuming my famous brother and the All Father can’t stop me, of course.  You’ve come here at an opportune time; I’m not imprisoned or in chains.  However, I am closely watched.”

“Loki,   I was allowed to see Asgard from Earth, and I saw you.  I saw that you were freed from your prison, and I know the death and destruction you have caused.  I know it, but it’s still you that I want.  You are fascinating, and you always appear to be enjoying everything, and to hell with the cost!  I want fun and a good time, like you, and I want to do what I want to do, not what others tell me to. Also, I admit it, I find you very attractive. You will find I am very different from other women, Loki, very different.”

                Loki twinkled.  “I don’t believe a word you are saying to me Kypris, as flattering as it is, but I know an accomplished liar when I see one, and believe me, I’m an expert.  Right now, your story will just have to do.  Though keep in mind, I will find out your true purpose here.  Shall I kiss you again?” He pulled her to her feet and away from the table.

                “Oh yes.” He kissed her lightly. 

                “Before we leave for my chambers, I will tell you one thing lady, which you’d best keep in mind.  I am capable of absolutely anything, do you understand? Anything.  While you are my lover, you will belong only to me, and if you stray, you will be sorry, very sorry indeed. Do you understand?”

                “Oh yes. I will do whatever you ask, whenever you ask.” She was very close now, the trap was almost sprung.

                He pulled her to him roughly and leaned down to kiss her again, deeply, his big hands in her hair and on her skin.  He swung her up in his arms, laughed again, and they vanished.

                                                           ……………………………………………………………..

She was right, he thought, there was something different.  He’d been bedding women, goddesses, and everything else for thousands of years, but this was different, really something out of his experience.  He felt as though he’d been dipped in honey, and was experiencing a languor so deep that he could barely keep his thoughts together.  It wasn’t exhaustion, though that might be understandable, it was as if he’d been drugged, and she was the drug.  Every time he thought about getting out of the bed, his body rebelled, and he rolled back over to touch her and make sure she was still there. The substance of her flesh was like a fix, and back he would go, sinking deeper.  When she stirred, or smiled and kissed him, he would make love to her immediately, completely immersing himself.  There was no room, no Asgard, and no universe but what was in the bed.  How long had it been?  Hours?  Days? Weeks? Like the Lotus Eaters in Ancient Greece, there was no time, no beginning, and no end.  What was happening outside this room? Shouldn’t he be out there making mischief and bringing chaos to all?  Sometime, sometime soon perhaps, but certainly not now. He didn’t care.

                She smiled to herself for she knew exactly where he was and how he felt.  He had fallen into her hands as neatly as a ripe peach.  He, the trickster and the mischief maker, was caught off guard.  He thought to dominate and menace her, but right now, she owned him. The irony was that she’d not used any of her powers as the goddess of love and beauty; she’d simply been an extraordinarily responsive lover.  She knew how to anticipate his every want and desire, before he knew what he wanted.  He thought he’d controlled their love making, and that she’d been utterly responsive to him and the latter part was true.  But Loki didn’t know what he was up against; he was the god of mischief, and she was the goddess of love. He never had a chance. Still, he was a lovely lover – tall, strong, smooth-skinned, and very masculine.  He was wonderfully good humored, and took delight in everything, full of laughter and little jokes.  Rarely had she laughed so much with a man or god. He was a man who enjoyed making love with no holds barred, no self-consciousness, and was never in a hurry. It was delightfully refreshing.  Her husband, Hephaestus, made love just as one would expect the god of the forge to: crash and bang.  He was neither graceful nor loving.  Aries, on the other hand, was extraordinarily strong and masculine, and loved her, as much as he could love anyone.  But she always felt that he made love to her as if he were on campaign, besieging a town, and she was the town. If she would just surrender, and allow herself to be ravished, it would all be over so much more quickly, and everyone would be happier. Both gods were about as sensitive as bricks, while Loki was astoundingly sensitive and aware, keen on giving her pleasure.  It may only have been to impress her with his skill, which was impressive, but underneath that she felt a deeper longing for love and intimacy than she had ever felt in a man.  She felt his extraordinary loneliness. He was superbly guarded, and would only let down his guard when he trusted her completely, but they had a long time to go before that happened.

                Eventually, even a god and goddess have to get out of bed, and at the end of the second day, they decided that they should make themselves presentable, and appear in the banquet hall.  This was the first test.  Would he walk in ahead of her, leaving her to sit where she may?  Would he make ribald jokes about her in front of the warriors? She’d seen men do both. Or, would he lead her to a comfortable seat, and playfully feed her from his own plate, making sure they never lost physical contact? In the guise of a demi-goddess, it was possible for anything to happen, but she would never get the full measure of this man if she revealed herself in her true form now.  To her gratification, Loki took her hand, and led her to a seat at the high table.  Heads turned, but he smiled, and greeted his mother and brother.  They smiled back.  Well, so far, so good.  He kept one hand on her leg the entire meal, and met her eyes with longing often.  Then they’d laugh some more.

 

                Loki, black hair still tousled from the bed, stood in a far corner of the hall and watched the proceedings with interest. Who was this woman who had given him such pleasure for two days?  If anything, she was as great a liar as he was.  Had his father sent her?  What was their game?  He watched his double graze her cheek with his lips, and watched her smiling response.  Who the hell was she?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave reviews, criticism, and whatever else. Thanks!


	3. The Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphrodite makes a promise that may jeopardize her life, Frigga joins with Aphrodite, Thor and Odin try to kill each other, and the Master of Lies learns something useful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first part of this story that I wrote, and I wrote it before I saw Thor: The Dark World. If you think I have shamelessly borrowed an incident from the movie, I apologize, but I didn't know of it before. However, it's my favorite part of the chapter and is essential to the plot, so I couldn't leave it out.

**Chapter 3 - The Promise**

            Odin turned, looking at Frigga and Thor in turn, “Why has nothing happened?  She’s had enough time and nothing has changed with Loki.  Those damned green eyes still follow my every move with hatred – it’s enough! We released him from his cell so that this agent of Zeus’s could have her chance with him. Perhaps her powers are not as Zeus led us to believe; maybe it was all a trick, the self-important ‘King of Olympus.’  I’m sure he thought anyone of his tiny realm could do better with Loki that we could! Why did I ever think that an Olympian demi-goddess would be able to bring Loki to hand?” He turned and watched one of his ravens as it plucked its plumage and squawked. “He still does his mischief and we have no way of knowing what he plans behind our backs.”

            Frigga sighed, “It is indeed worrying but perhaps he won’t find out her purpose.  There’s nothing any Asgardian can do that will surprise him, and she may have caught him off guard.  They have scarcely been apart in the last month, after all.  That in itself is unusual; his attention span with women is not normally this long.  I think this needs more time, husband.”

            You may well be right, Mother, they have been together a great deal, and Loki seems infatuated with her, and,”  Thor laughed, “He is certainly easier to get along with now that she spends so much time in his bed.  And certainly that is very understandable; she is a very warm and beautiful  woman.  But, we must remember that Loki is _never off guard_ , I ought to know better than anyone. He still taunts me with how many times I’ve fallen for his tricks; he always has.  Do we need to do something else? What would be our next step, then?”

           Odin spoke, “That’s the point, my son, we have no next steps.  We have imprisoned him, chained him, tortured, expelled him, and still he is among us and wreaks havoc in Asgard and all the Nine Realms. Our last option is his execution. ” Frigga gasped and Odin rubbed his beard in thought.  “But I have lost confidence in her – send for her.  I want her in this throne room now.  I grow impatient!” 

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

            Kypris followed the guard to the throne room, entered, and bowed low to the king, queen, and prince who looked at her intently as she approached them.  The men’s eyes were full of doubt, and Odin’s showed additional distrust and anger.  Frigga’s eyes were serene.

            “It looks to me as though you have failed in your attempt to change Loki, to remove his hate and make him sane.  Why has this not worked, ‘demi-goddess?’”  Although Odin snarled in a way that would frighten others, Kypris detected a feeling other than animosity behind his words.  She lowered her eyes as he spoke, a gesture of submission.  Powerful men love submissive women, and never understand the power such women have over them.  It was a good thing that these men were such fools, gods or no. She waited respectfully for him to stop speaking.  No men demanded greater submission from their women than the ancient Greeks.  She’d had a great deal of practice.

            Odin was done speaking, and glowered at her, waiting for an unsatisfactory answer. More submission: she turned her eyes respectfully to Thor, waiting for him to speak. 

            “I beg your pardon lady, if we seem rude or impatient,” responded Thor, rumbling softly.  Odin glared at him.  “We have seen no great change in Loki, and the time you’ve had should have been adequate to the task.  What are your plans?” Thor towered over her, and she looked into his clear, blue gaze, his face gentle and concerned, and quickly looked away again.  That way lies only ruin and despair, she thought, she would have to be careful.   His face was a contradiction to his work and his status. She knew that in battle his face would be brutal and angry, but in repose, it showed a different side of him; kindly, courtly, and good humored. 

            “My king and prince, first I must say that a few short weeks, scarcely a lunar month, is hardly long enough to win a man’s, any man’s, total confidence and love., and Loki is far more difficult that “any man,” as you know.  Even though you have underestimated the size of the task you have given me, I still have almost complete confidence that I will succeed. I will not and cannot change Loki’s essential nature; that can’t be done to anyone, but I believe I can make him happier, more satisfied, and negate much of the anger he carries within him.  Those things will help him feel loved by others, and will give him more trust in everyone.”

            “I think your trip here has been useless,” Odin growled, “Other than to give Loki a great deal of undeserved pleasure with you.  Your powers are clearly limited, and no match for Loki’s.  I want you to leave at once.  Loki can go back to his dungeon until I make a decision about what must be done.”

            “Before that happens, All-Father, I beg your indulgence to ask the queen a question.”

            “Ask as you will, lady,” Frigga smiled and inclined her head.

            “I ask your permission to demonstrate to your husband and Thor that I have the power to do as I promised.  I give you my word, all will return to the way it was before, and no harm will be done to you or those you love. They must believe in me, or my plan will fail.  As you know, my lady, simply from your understanding of men’s hearts, even a demi-goddess from Olympus cannot make a man truly love her in a short period of time, especially a man as complex and broken as Loki.  Love must grow slowly or it is apt to dissipate at the first difficulty.  What you see may frighten you.  Will you allow me to proceed?  I assure you, all will be well.”

            Frigga, surprised at these words, turned quickly to observe Odin’s and Thor’s responses. They were both staring at Kypris as if transfixed, unaware of her words; Frigga smiled. “Do you do that to men often, so that they cannot understand your purpose?”

            “I do it always, my queen.  Men have no place in the councils of women.  Their emotions are not suited to understand us, as we understand them.”

            Frigga smiled in delight.  “What a wonderful spell.  Will you teach it to me when your time here is done?  Did your godly parent teach you this?”

            “No my queen, I was born knowing how to do this.” Kypris smiled, “And I will gladly teach it to you, my queen, but you have no need of my help.  You have the power already, but have never chosen to use it. I will simply remind you.”

            “Very well then, Kypris, proceed with your demonstration, which somehow, I think, has already begun.”

            “Only in a very small way, my queen,” Kypris smiled, “Prepare yourself, and please withdraw to a safe distance.”  Frigga’s eyebrows rose, but she inclined her head and mounted the great golden steps to her place beside Odin’s throne. The raven grudgingly gave way to her.

            Kypris turned her face to the two transfixed gods, and slowly closed her eyes.  Almost immediately, Frigga felt a subtle vibration in the great room; and as a goddess and queen, she recognized it at once; it was the vibration of all life, essential to anything or anyone that lived.  It came directly from Yggdrasil, the World Ash Tree. As she watched, the air in the room swirled with brilliant colors and the insistent thrumming of the life force. The branches of Yggdrasil were visible, though ghostly, and creaked as if in a powerful wind.  She wondered how this would affect her husband and son.  The colors and vibration centered on them, wrapping each in a wall of color and sound, she saw it enter their bodies, as the branches and leaves of the tree appeared to engulf them.  Frigga sensed their pulses quicken, too rapidly, and the vibrations of the life force heat their blood. They each grew taller, heavier of bone and muscle, and more masculine as seconds went by.  Just when it seemed that the walls of the throne room would disintegrate, the sound and colors abruptly stopped and the tree disappeared.  Thor and Odin stood as still as statues, huge and strong, with the menace of their heightened masculinity filling the room.  Frigga was aware of a silence; all Asgard unknowingly held its breath.

            Kypris moved quickly while the men remained still.  She took Odin’s spear and handed it to Frigga, tried to take Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, but could not lift it.  She blew on it softly, and it floated, softly as a feather, and landed at Frigga’s feet.  “So they don’t kill each other, my queen,” she murmured, eyes again closed.  She turned and snapped her eyes open.

            They came to life at once, and to Frigga’s horror, turned immediately on each other.  Odin snarled, but Thor made his loudest battle cry, causing the walls and the floor to shake.   The red cape billowed behind him.

            “Stay back, Father, the woman is mine.  If you venture a step towards her, I will kill you where you stand. I will take her as my queen, and breed mighty children from her, and she will be mine, and only mine, for all time.”

            Odin started to circle Thor, snarling, “You can’t make her your queen, you stupid boy.  You’re not king, I am king; she will be my queen, and I will get on her new sons who will displace you. I will never give her up – and you will never lay eyes on her again, for I will banish you, if I do not kill you.”

            “I come to kill you now, old man!” Thor launched himself at his father, flying across the room.  He struck his father a crushing blow to the head, knocking him to the floor, but Odin’s helmet magically appeared, and deflected the killing force of the blow. Thor leaped on him as Odin rose to his feet.

            Frigga gasped, “Stop them! They’ll kill each other!”  

            Kypris shook her head, “Trust me, lady, please.  Not much longer.”

            Odin and Thor grappled and rolled, each trying to crush or break the other, each blow intended to kill. The foundations of the hall groaned as the blows became faster and heavier, and they left broken paving stones on the floor when they fell. Both faces were bloody and twisted with rage. The heavily gauntleted hands delivered blow after killing blow, but they continued to struggle.

            Thor shook his head and extended his hand for the hammer and it flew to him, but before he could raise it, a shimmering, transparent wall, a foot thick, appeared between the two gods.  Thor howled in rage, and struck the wall, but it didn’t give way; it waved and shimmered, but was not broken.

            Odin called his spear, and it appeared in his hand, shimmering with deadly magic.  It could not miss once it left the hand of the bearer, and if it pierced Thor’s heart, he would die. Odin readied the spear; it was difficult.  Even in his blood lust, it was difficult to kill his beloved son. Finally, he attempted to break through the wall through sheer force of will, and the All-Father’s will was very powerful. The wall wavered and Odin's figure shown through the wall. He raised the spear and aimed at Thor’s heart; the wall fell. Odin advanced on Thor.  “You fool, you thought you could defeat me in battle over a woman.  I’ll kill you now!” He held the spear over his head.

           As soon as the wall opened, Thor raised the great hammer.  “Die old man, and know in your dying that I am king and the woman is mine, and no one shall ever take her from me.  Not you, not Loki. He’s next, I’ll kill him too!  I’ll kill them all.” The great hall filled with lightening; the blinding light and thunder knocked Frigga to her knees.  Kypris remained still.  The raven flew from the throne, alarmed by the noise, its black eyes fixed on Thor.

           Thor and Odin each advanced to give the killing blow, faces distorted with blood lust and the need to destroy the other. Thor swung the hammer; Odin poised the spear, and thrust it.

          “STOP!” cried Kypris, before the spear left Odin’s hand, and uttered a word of power that Frigga did not recognize. The two gods stared at themselves and each other in surprise.  Odin lowered his spear, and Thor put down the hammer and the bloodlust died from their eyes, replaced with bewilderment and shame. Each appeared his normal self again; Odin proud and suspicious, while Thor’s faced assumed its goodness and gentleness.  Exhausted from their battle, their chests heaved and their breathing was ragged.  They turned to Frigga in shame and bowed their heads, then turned their faces to Kypris.

          “What just happened here, my lady? My father and I fought to kill each other.  There was no joy in this fight.”

          Odin’s laugh was bitter, “She has shown us her power, my son, and conquered us both, utterly, each of us completely unaware. She caused us to desire her so greatly that we would have killed each other, abandoned your mother, and brought Asgard down in pieces around us in order to possess her.  All that mattered was the need to possess her utterly – this is her power. It is great indeed.“  He turned to looked at her; malice, hatred, and not a small amount of fear glinted from the one eye. “I know who she is now; this is no demi-goddess brought in to keep Loki happy; this is the great Goddess herself, Aphrodite, Queen of Love and Beauty, one of the Twelve Olympians.  She has been worshipped in many forms as long as the human race has existed on Midgard.  She has power over men that none can resist. She has brought down civilizations and has caused men and gods to kill each other.  She causes trouble wherever she goes. She is a destroyer of worlds and must be confined and controlled. She is never to be trusted, and I do not trust Zeus to keep us safe from her magic.”

          Thor shook his head as if he had just emerged from deep water.

          “Frigga!"  You allowed this female to do this to our son and me? Would you stand by to watch us kill each other and destroy Asgard in order to watch as your husband and son are utterly enslaved?”  Frigga eyes blazed, her face aghast.

          Kypris spoke. “Enough, all of you.  Odin, All-Father, your soul is troubled, and you blame me for your violence. For all of history, men have blamed their blood lust and murder on the women they want, and in fear of us, have dominated and enslaved us.  Your queen and I will not accept that. If you want my help, you will allow me to stay here with Loki, and work in my own way and you will not interfere. There is no other way. The life of your younger son is at stake, if you think that your only other option is that he must die, or spend the rest of his life in an underground cell.”

          Thor interrupted, his voice shaken and gentle, “Pardon me, Great Goddess, but surely what you did to the All-Father and me is not your plan for Loki?  To enflame him as you enflamed us is madness.  It would make him all the more dangerous and unstable.  He might well kill us all. Is this your plan?”

         “A fair question, prince, and of course, you are right.  The power of sexual love is one of my powers, but not one to be used on Loki in such strong measure.  Do not forget, I am also the goddess of love, the longings of the heart, and the fulfilling of its desires.  Sexual desire and the need to reproduce are primal powers of the universe, but they are not the most evolved powers.  The love that fills and completes the soul, and the desire to make the beloved happy and safe, are its counterparts.  All are necessary for balance or the power between male and female becomes skewed to the male, and infects the universe with poison. In that way, it will lead ultimately to destruction, because the power to dominate always leads to the need to destroy.  Observe the men of Midgard; my home,  the need to dominate all things has led them close to the destruction of our world.  As Loki told you, Thor, they kill each other in droves.

        The wall I raised was built from love and even through your rage and lust, it was enough to prevent you from killing each other until you, Odin, raised the spear and aimed it at your son’s heart; you would have killed him had you struck.  The desire to kill Thor destroyed the love and thus the wall, and that was your moment of greatest danger. You are not to blame for this, do not misunderstand me; I put that desire in your heart, as I then took it away.

        No, Loki needs love and healing, not the need to destroy; he already has more of his share of that, and it drives him mad.  His own male desires are very strong and will suffice, and my own charms, are, ah, well known.  His response to me through the course of a few weeks is already evident, is it not? Eventually,  he will receive the power of my love, and love is the most potent force in the universe.  I turned none of that, my greatest power, on either of you. Loving Loki: that is my plan.  It’s very simple, though I  use it at great price.

         “What price is that?” Frigga spoke for the first time.

         “Just as I said, great lady, I must give Loki my real and complete love, if it is to heal him.  It cannot be the manipulations of a goddess, nor can it be a magic trick.  It must be from my soul. Giving that, especially to a man as damaged and full of the desire for vengeance as Loki, will make me vulnerable. I will have to fight against his rage and despair in order not to become one with them.  He will have the power to destroy me, and I must be willing to take that chance.

         Compared to loving Loki as he must be loved, what I did to the two of you today was child’s play.  Ask any pretty 15 year old girl in Midgard; if she has the desire and will, she can make grown men fight over her.  I did much the same thing today, though on a cosmic scale.  I had no intention of allowing you to bring Asgard down – I needed only to demonstrate my power.  I now set out to love Loki on a cosmic scale as well; I must be willing to die for Loki, and for Asgard, if that is what is necessary, to make him believe in my love. This is my promise.

        These things take time, and it must start within me, and I cannot love a man I’ve known for such a short time. I am many thousands of years old, and a month passes to me as a moment. However, the process has already started. I’ve begun to love him already – it started the first moment I met him.  The anger and distrust you, All-Father, feel towards him, though understandable, are destroying him.  The more he desires your love and trust, the more he betrays you.  He tests your love, and it fails. This applies to you as well, Thor, though it comes as a result of your father’s promises to him that could never come true, and to his feelings of inadequacy.  He truly loves you, Thor, but hates you as well.  We may be able to change that.

         I, however, feel no anger and distrust towards Loki.  My love for him grows daily; it will not diminish, once it is committed. His mother understands this; Frigga has loved him this way since he was her baby, but does not absolve him of his crimes.  Nor do I. Her goal and mine are the same; to heal him through our love, though of course, we will go about it differently; she, mother to son, I, woman to man.”  She smiled at Frigga. ”I believe we will succeed if it kills us both. You two must agree to let this proceed.  One further thing, all of you – Loki must not know of my purpose here.  If he learns of it, the plan will be in ruins and have no chance of success.”

        Your way has failed; you admit that.  Now, we will use a greater power than either of you have has ever used or possessed.”

        Thor and Odin looked at her with surprise; neither liked the idea of a power neither of them possessed.  Frigga looked at her and tears fell from her eyes.  “I don’t like it,” Odin spoke again.  "What if after all of this, your plan fails?"

        “Then Loki and I will perish, and perhaps Ragnarok will come. You don’t like my plan, but you must accept it.   Frigga, do you join with me?”

         “I do,” said Frigga, moving to Kypris’s side. “I will die with you, if necessary, for Loki and for Asgard.  He shall not know of the plan or your purpose here.”

         “What is your reply, Odin All-Father, and Thor, God of Thunder?  Do you accept our will?”

          Defeated, Odin knelt before Kypris and Frigga, and Thor joined him.  “I kneel to your power, Great Goddess,” said Odin, “Because it appears we have no choice. I pray, however, that you have mercy on us all. Please do not use the power you unleased on Thor and me in Asgard again. ” Kypris nodded and raised them to their feet, Thor kissed Kypris’s hand, and she and Frigga embraced and looked at each other with deep understanding. Suspicion and distrust showed in Odin’s one eye, but he said nothing.

         “What about that little trick you would remind me of?” said Frigga, as she walked gracefully down the long aisle in the throne room as the others followed.  Odin and Thor walked with their heads lowered, walking as if exhausted.

          “Let us rest and bathe, then I will show you.  It’s been an exhausting morning; I haven’t worked so hard in a very long time, and I must save my strength for Loki.”

 

           The raven, sitting again on the throne’s back, twisted its head to one side, and smoothed its feathers.  Its black eyes glowed green for a second, and the raven became Loki, sitting on Odin’s throne, hand on his chin, watching carefully as the doors to the great hall closed. He smiled suddenly, and laughed with relish, green eyes sparkling.  “What a delightful plan!  Have they really brought the most beautiful women in the Nine Realms all the way to Asgard just for me?  Oh, Aphrodite, how amusing this will be!  Thank you, Odin, thank you very very much.” Loki laughed, the horns of the great horned helmet glinting gold in the fire light.

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

           

 

 


End file.
